The Greens support the ANMF’s application to the Tasmanian Industrial Commission over the Liberals’ failure to consult with nurses, registrars and aged care facilities in ceasing funding to palliative care services. The Liberals’ cuts to palliative care services are heartless, and the funding must be reinstated.
For eight years, Tasmanian nurses have been providing specialist palliative care services to older people in aged care facilities. It’s resulted in better quality end-of-life care and enabled people to have agency around the place of their passing.
But when the Federal Government cut funding to the program, instead of making up that shortfall, the Tasmanian Liberals followed suit. This ruthless decision will remove a critical palliative care service from older Tasmanians.
It’s going to result in Tasmanians in their last days struggling to access the end-of-life care they deserve. This will mean increased pressure on specialist palliative care services, ambulances and emergency departments – which are already under extreme stress.
The Liberals have had eight years to build a strong palliative care service for when federal funding ended. It’s simply unacceptable to blame the program finishing on the Federal Government.
It’s completely callous that the Liberals are cutting vital services to dying Tasmanians to prop up their budget bottom line. They must immediately reinstate funding to ensure quality palliative care services for Tasmanians who need it in aged care facilities.
